The Joy of Planning

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          It’s fall and we all know what that means… a packed schedule! Between classes, homework, house work, work-work, sleep, family time, and social time, how the heck are we supposed to keep our sanity? Well, I’ve got a few tips on how you can balance your hectic life and even find yourself a little down time!  
          You’ve probably noticed on social media and at your local stores how much personal planners have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. At just about any home-goods store, you’re bound to find a section dedicated to planners, calendars and to all their accessories. Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target, and Tuesday Morning are a just a few stores with pretty impressive personal planner inventories. Using these planners is not only fun, but they’re also linked to better memory formation. According to Scientific American, reading from paper media results in better content recall than reading from an electronic device.  This comes in really handy when we use paper planners to write down our to-lists, due dates, and appointments and check them regularly.
           If your schedule is particularly packed with things to do, places to go, and people to see, I suggest using a planner that breaks down each day hour-by-hour as opposed to a simple daily planner. This way, you can know exactly what you’re doing each hour of each day. Fill in the times you already have committed to work and class. From there, schedule blocks of time specifically for studying, house work, family time and social time. The real key to getting the mostout of your day (and your planner) is to stick to these designated times. This won’t be easy right away, but with practice and dedication, committing time to these aspects of daily life will result in more free timefor you to do whatever you want without that big, bad to-do list hovering right over your shoulder. 
           As I mentioned earlier, many stores have accessories for planners and calendars. These include stickers (lots and lots of stickers!), pockets, expansion packs, and special tools for personalizing the look and layout of your planner. There are whole sticker books for different aspects of life, including work, school, house work, events, budgeting and finances, and more. And if you’re not interested in all the bells and whistles, a simple penciled-in appointment works just as well. Planners come in a variety of shapes and sizes from pocket-sized to large binder-sized. With all the ways to dress up a planner, what’s probably the greatest thing about them is that they are as simple or as detailed as youwant them to be. 
          Using a planner faithfully and consistently can be an absolute life (and time) saver. Good luck on your fall semester!
By Aurora Lopez, Fresno City College Student, WRC Tutor

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